Komi Can’t Communicate is a wholesome teenage rom-com anime that premiered in the Fall of 2021 (roughly October 7, 2021, to December 23, 2021). It premiered on Netflix and was quite a hit, with fans waiting for it dearly for a long time. It became so popular that Netflix renewed it for a second season, and it did quite well in the second season.
It is a refreshing watch for the weebs out there. It has been quite some time since a nice teenage rom-com anime came into the market. People were missing this classic rom-com-style anime. It is one of the longest-awaited anime adaptations out there. Komi Can’t Communicate was apprehended by the people not able to be adapted into an anime due to its peculiar art style, but Studio OLM proved otherwise.
Even though the animation was not as expected, but much better than people expected since Studio OLM was able to animate and bring the frames from the manga to life, so naturally, everyone forgot about the manga’s unique art style; instead, everyone started focusing on the aesthetic of the anime series along with its beautiful colors.
The Characters
The show is about Komi Shouko, who is a teenager just entering the High School phase and has a dream to make a hundred friends. But, the problem is she has social anxiety, so she finds it hard to even talk to anyone. Although little does she know the hell that awaits her as she joins Itan Private School as the only way to pass the entrance is through interviews, due to which the school contains all kinds of people.
Here comes the savior and first friend of Komi Shouko, Tadano Hitohito. He is accidentally seated alongside Komi Shouko and is frowned upon by everyone in the class about how an average guy can be seated next to a God-like beauty (referring to Komi Shouko).
But he comes about to know that Komi Shouko has trouble speaking with anyone. So, he takes the task of becoming her first friend and helping her make another 99 friends. As Tadano starts his mission the next day, he realizes that Komi Shouko is idealized by all the people, and nobody thinks they are worthy enough to be her friend. He uses his last resort, which is talking to her childhood friend Najimi Osana.
The only reason Tadano did not want to talk to Najimi Osana is that she harbors his secrets related to his childhood which he did not want anyone to know. There are many more side characters that we shall talk about as we move on to talk about the show.
Komi Can’t Communicate Plot
Tadano Hitohito, Komi Shouko, and Najimi Osana go on to become besties and the trio of the show as the show goes on. Najimi declines Komi’s request to be her friend, which she could say after so much struggle.
After the rejection, Tadano makes Najimi understand the reason behind his trying to get more friends for Komi. After reconsidering, Najimi Osana decides to give it a shot. Najimi tries to befriend everyone and has done so since childhood. Komi Shouko was the only child she was not able to befriend, and as a result, she got sick.
Najimi is eventually saved by Komi by accident when an old friend of Najimi tries to confess and force her to be in a relationship with him. Komi saves Najimi as she tries to return the keys to the guy, but he gets scared of Komi’s nervous stare, interprets it as a death glare, and runs off.
Seeing this, Najimi decides to be friends with Komi and help her with her dream. Najimi goes on to clarify that all the students in the school are her childhood friends. So, Najimi makes a list of all the students fit to be friends with Komi Shouko.
Komi listened to the details about the first candidate, Himiko Agari, who was similar to Komi Shouko in terms of social anxiety, which made Komi want to be friends with another person with the same problem. As she runs to the library to befriend Himiko Agari, only to reach there and get reminded they both have social anxiety, and none of the both can start or continue a conversation with the other.
One thing led to another. After running from each other, both of them and their homeroom teacher caught hold of Himiko Agari and told her to announce the class. Himiko accepted while getting scared of the glare given out by Komi Shouko. She panicked and somehow was able to make the announcement and later went to thank Komi Shouko.
While Himiko is thanking Komi Shouko, Tadano tries to offer Himiko to be Komi’s friend, only to hear another rejection. Himiko, while running after rejecting, says that she does not need to be a friend because of many stupid reasons, but if Komi needs a dog, Himiko can be one for her, keeping both Tadano and Komi awestruck.
In another episode, we find Yamai Ren, another classmate, being introduced into the story. As the episode progresses, we get to know that Yamai Ren admires Komi Shouko so much that she even stalks her and has Komi’s pictures all over the room. Yamai also kidnaps Tadano while he is on his way to school in the morning.
Yamai kidnaps Tadano and ties him to a chair in her room to keep him there so that Yamai can spend time sitting beside Komi all day whenever she gets the chance. Later on, Najimi Osana and Komi Shouko realize that Tadano is absent, and Yamai Ren is constantly sitting in his seat and trying to be chatty with Komi Shouko.
Najimi suggests that she would like to visit Yamai Ren’s house along with Komi Shouko for girls’ time. They all have a good time, only to later hear bangs from the closet where Tadano is tied up to a chair. Najimi and Komi rescue Tadano from Yamai’s house, and while leaving Yamai’s house, Komi tells Yamai that she chooses her own friends and can not be forced to be friends with someone.
Yamai later comes to apologize to Tadano only to try to kill herself when Komi rejects her offer to be friends with her as Komi Can’t Communicate. Tadano and Najimi clarify to Yamai why Komi is not able to reply to Yamai because of her social anxiety. This covers all the main side characters, Tadano Hitohito, Najimi Osana, Himiko Agari, and Yamai Ren, in order of their connection to the story.
Komi Can’t Communicate Review
It is one wholesome anime with a lot of aesthetic moments like chalk dust floating to the floor, cherry blossoms, and summer festivals. The story also starts getting cute as Komi Shouko starts developing feelings towards Tadano Hitohito, who is practically the first person outside her family to be able to know what Komi wants.
So this first episode is funny, silly, and a little moving, and possibly offers a sympathetic depiction of a teenager struggling with social anxiety. It’s defined by its surreal flourishes, from the generation of text to the occasional puzzling cat ears sticking out of Komi’s head.
Typically, some would say it’s stupid. Itan Private School is a well-respected institution populated by eccentrics and weirdos, so achieving Komi’s goal of 100 of her friends isn’t going to be easy, and the post-credits “bonus scene” brings out the episode’s biggest laugh.
Also, watching season 1 would be fine, but after watching season 2, it gets pretty repetitive. The aesthetics and side timepass keeps the show alive. The animation done by Studio OLM is exquisite and up to the mark if the show is compared with its manga.
Our Verdict
Komi Can’t Communicate is not anything new but might be able to bring the teen-angst issues along with the introvert problems into light. It is just any other teenage rom-com anime with a tinge of anxiety issues to make the show interesting and enthralling. It has 2 seasons which is worth at least a one-time watch due to the level of animation and to learn about the issues in society that the new generation faces.
Since the show was able to enthrall the audience for 2 seasons / 24 episodes with its unique portrayal of anxiety issues, aesthetics, and exquisite animation.
Our Rating: ⭐ (4.3/5).
Also Read: Spy X Family Review: Feel Good Anime Along With Well-Executed Comedy
